New Smoking Ban Proposed

A bill that would make it illegal to smoke in your car when kids are in it is heard – but not voted on – in a Senate committee. Lawmakers on the Public Health Committee asked a handful of questions; including how the new law would be enforced since a police officer couldn’t just pull someone over if they see them smoking in the car and children were inside. The answer: the smoker would have to be committing a different crime too, which left State Senator Dave Syverson (R-Rockford) skeptical of the bill’s effectiveness.

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“The likelihood of much enforcement is going to be, probably, limited,” said Syverson. Lawmakers also wondered if the proposed law would include convertibles; it would. However, it would not apply to people riding motorcyles. The bill was not voted on during this hearing and there is no word on when it will be called for a vote.